1. Field of the Invention
The invention mainly relates to a vapor fraction from the seeds of Glycine max (L.) Merr. which has effects in treating skin injuries, in treating dermatological disorders, in stimulating cell regeneration, and in stimulating hair growth.
2. Description of the Related Art
Glycine max (L.) Merr., including soybean and black soybean, is one of the most important sources of oil and proteins in the world. For instance, soybeans can be processed to obtain an edible, semi-drying oil that is used as salad oil, or for manufacture of margarine and shortening. Soybean oil can be also used in the manufacture of paints, linoleum, oilcloth, printing inks, soaps, insecticides, and disinfectants. Besides, lecithin phospholipids obtained from the by-products of the oil industry, can be used as wetting and stabilizing agents in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, leathers, paints, plastics, soaps, and detergents. Soy meal is a very protein-rich feeding stuff for livestock. In addition, soybean protein can be used in manufacture of synthetic fibers, adhesives, textile sizing, waterproofing, fire-fighting foams and so on.
In medical use, soybeans have been reported to have effects on many diseases.
Soybean can be used as a nutritious supplement for regulating the functions of bowels, heart, kidney, liver, and stomach. Since soybean oil contains a high amount of unsaturated fatty acids, it can be used to combat hypercholesteremia. Medical lecithin from soybeans functions as a lipotropic agent. In addition, tigmasterol known as an antistiffness factor, and sitosterol used as a replacement for diosgenin in some antihypertensive drugs, were prepared from soybeans. Isoflavones and phyto-oesterogens found in soybeans have been suggested to have a preventive effect against various cancers comprising breast, prostate, and colon cancers (Adlercreutz, H.; Phyto-oestrogens and cancer. The Lancet Oncology, 2002, Vol. 3, p. 364–373). Consumption of phytosterol-supplemented margarine was also found to lower total plasma cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in older middle-aged hypercholesterolemic individuals (Matvienko, O. A., Lewis, D. S., Swanson, M., Aendt, B., Rainwater, D. L., Stewart, J., and Alekel, D. L.; A single daily dose of soybean phytosterols in ground beef decreases serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in young, mildly hypercholesterolemic men. Am J Clin Nutr., 2002, 76, p. 57–64).
Some extracts from soybean have been also reported to have pharmaceutical effects. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity of the 70% aqueous acetone extract from the seed coat of the brown soybean variety, Akita-Zairai, was disclosed (Takahata. Y., O.-Kameyama, M., Furuta, S., Takahashi, M., and Suda, I.; Highly polymerized procyanidins in brown soybean seed coat with a high radical-scavenging activity. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2001, 49, p. 5843–5847). An extract from germ extracts, soybean, rice bran, tear grass, sesame, wheat, citron, green tea, green leaf extract, and malted rice, which were slowly roasted under a powdered oure at less than 60° C. and fermented with Aspergillus oryzae over 3 days to transform each ingredient into low molecular weight substances, was found to have antioxidative effects (Minamiyama, Y., Yoshikawa, T., Tanigawa, T., Takahashi, S., Naito, Y., Ichikawa, H., and Kondo, M.; Antioxidative effects of a processed grain food. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol., 1994, 40, p. 467–477). Boiled extracts of green leaves of carrot, crucifers, and beans comprising black bean, red bean, mung bean, and soybean showed to have great anti-tumor-promoter and radical-scavenging activities (Maeda. H., Katsuki, T., Akaike, T. and Yasutake. R.; High correlation between lipid peroxide radical and tumor-promoter effect: suppression of tumor promotion in the Epstein-Barr virus/B-lymphocyte system and scavenging of alkyl peroxide radicals by various vegetable extracts. Jpn. J. Cancer Res., 1992, 83, p. 923–928). Water extract of black bean also reported to effect on acetaminophen-induced liver injury by measuring serum glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (sGOT) and serum glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (sGPT) activities in rats (Wu, S.-J., Wang, J.-S. and Chang, C.-H.; Evaluation of hepatoprotective activity of legumes. Phytomedicine, 2001, Vol. 8(3), p. 213–219). An extract of soybean seed with an extracting liquid consisting of mixed system of low aliphatic alcohol and low boiling ester was shown as a refresh drink agent for quenching thirst (JP Patent No. 1117767).
Some specific extracts from soybean had been found to be applied in cosmetics or pharmaceuticals in treating some skin disease.
Soya extract, which contains sphingomyelins and phospholipids in defined ratios was disclosed to be used in cosmetics for the treatment of dry skin (U.S. Patent Pub. No. US2002/0009509 A1). Such extract was produced by extracting ripe whole soya beans or oil-free soya flour using aliphatic alcohols alone or in a mixture with water and followed by the treatment with aliphatic hydrocarbons and with aliphatic ketones. Therefore, the extract is liposoluble.
An acne medicine, comedon production inhibitor or cosmetic composition containing one or more plant extracts selected from whey, and a Phellodendeon amurense Ruprecht extract, and further one or more extracts selected from Scutellaria baicalensis Geoegi, Symphytum officinale Linne, and Glycine max (L.) Merrill, was found to be effective for preventing or treating skin diseases such as the acne or inflammatory chapped skin caused by the acne (JP Patent No. 2001097842). The composition can be used for production of general drinks, foods, and so on.
Malonylisoflavone glycoside obtained from soybean or an extracted solution of soybeans with water and, for example, malonyldaizin etc. was as an epithelial cell proliferation promoter (JP Patent No. 9059166). The glycoside is obtained by immersing peeled soybeans in water adjusted to pH 7.5 to pH 9.0 with caustic soda at 45–65° C. for 2–4 hours, removing the soybeans to give the immersion water as an extracted solution with water, removing protein from the extracted solution by an ultrafilter membrane to give a filtrate, bringing the filtrate into contact with an adsorbent and eluting the glycoside from the adsorbed material by using an aqueous solution of an alcohol or an alkali aqueous solution of an alcohol.
Products of fermenting soybean by microorganisms were also applied as anti-active oxygen action compositions, agents, foods, cosmetics and medicines (such as JP Patent No. 4139132).
However, none of the prior art teaches or suggests that a low concentration or free of alcohol vapor fraction from Glycine max (L.) Merr. which is prepared easily in treating skin injuries and dermatological disorders.